Multi-instrumentalist Benjamin Curtis, who co-founded both School of Seven Bells and Secret Machines, has passed away after a long struggle with cancer. He was 35.

An official statement reads:

Dear friends,

Last night, Dec. 29th 2013, we lost our friend and brother Benjamin Curtis to his fight against cancer.

While we had hoped to delay this announcement until a more suitable time when his friends and family could feel better prepared and settled to greet any correspondences from folks attempting to reach out, unfortunately the news has prematurely leaked. So we felt it would be appropriate to at least offer an official acknowledgement from us, in light of all the fans who loved and supported Benjamin and his music.

We kindly ask that his immediate family, friends & bandmates’ privacy be respected during this time, and that instead, any inquires, well wishes, or notes-of-consolation be sent through School of Seven Bells’ management, where it can be shared with them at the suitable time. They can be sent to a special e-mail address here: mailto:“sviib@wizkidmanagement.com”

If relevant, further information will be made available through the suitable channels in the near future.

We can’t thank all of you who supported him and his music through the years enough. All of you who attended or participated in the various benefits in and around New York City over the past year since his diagnosis, and of course those who contributed and gave generously to help support him throughout that journey. You made it possible for all of us, and for him, to see how truly loved he was and how many lives he had touched through his music by your gestures. We will all miss this incredibly talented and rare person every day, but we are fortunate enough that he shared with us his music, and that is something that we can keep forever.

Curtis first made waves as the drummer in Tripping Daisy. Along with his brother Brandon and drummer Josh Garza, he formed Secret Machines in Dallas, TX in 2000. They released a series of acclaimed psychedelic indie-rock records and were favorites on the jamband and mainstream festival circuits. In 2007, he left Secret Machines to form the dream pop group School of Seven Bells with twins Claudia Deheza and Alley Deheza.